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BEEFSTEAK CLUB WINES has teamed up with award-winning chef Niall McKenna and his Waterman Restaurant in Belfast to host a special culinary experience for local wine enthusiasts and food lovers.

Distributed in Northern Ireland by Craigavon-based United Wines, Beefsteak Club is inspired by London’s dining clubs of the 18th century and offers a cracking range of quality wines from around the world, all perfect for pairing with your favourite food dishes – something guests will have an opportunity to experience at Waterman House on Saturday, October 12, 2024.

 

As part of Beefsteak Club’s ‘Wine to Dine For’ campaign, this exclusive ‘supper club’ style event will be hosted by Ciaran Meyler, Wine Manager at United Wines, who has enjoyed an outstanding career as a wine professional from server to seller.

Guests will receive a glass of wine on arrival, followed by an opportunity to indulge in four delicious small plates, each paired perfectly with a glass of Beefsteak Club wines.

Tickets for the ‘Wine to Dine For’ event are available now at just £55 per person and are expected to sell out quickly with only 80 seats available – so early reservations are recommended.  To secure a place, tickets can be purchased at www.waterman.house/collections/events/products/beefsteak-club-wine-evening.

“We are thrilled to collaborate with Waterman House to bring this exceptional Beefsteak Club Wines event to Belfast,” said Ciaran Meyler, Wine Manager at United Wines. “If you love wine and love food, then you won’t want to miss this exclusive celebration of fine wines, gourmet food, and the vibrant culinary culture of Northern Ireland.”

Waterman Chef Proprietor Niall McKenna, who also operates the popular James St Restaurant, added: “Hosting this ‘Wine to Dine For’ event in partnership with Beefsteak Club and United Wines is an exciting opportunity for us to showcase our culinary expertise and to create a memorable experience for our guests. 

“Beefsteak Club is a superb selection of wines inspired by London dining clubs of the 18th century and will be perfectly matched to a menu created by our Waterman chefs. We really look forward to welcoming guests to this special culinary and wine-tasting experience which promises to be an unforgettable evening for connoisseurs and enthusiasts alike.”

Niall McKenna has been cooking since the age of 15. Having studied professional cookery at Belfast Metropolitan College, he moved to London where he worked with Michelin-starred chefs such as Nico Ladenis, Gary Rhodes and Marco Pierre White.

Having returned to Belfast in 2000, he opened his own restaurant James Street South in 2003.  A strong supporter of local Northern Irish produce, he has since operated a string of popular restaurants in Belfast, most recently Waterman House, incorporating a Cookery School, events spaces and tasting rooms, as well as the Waterman Restaurant.

Founded in 1985, United Wines, a subsidiary of Heineken Ireland, is now one of the biggest drinks distributors on the island of Ireland.

Operating from an 80,000 square foot warehouse in Craigavon, with 55 staff on its books, United Wines distributes an extensive portfolio of beers, wines, spirits and soft drinks to more than 1,000 bars, restaurants, hotels, off licenses, cash & carries, regional wholesalers and national multiples throughout the country.

Ulster University Belfast welcomes prestigious European Parliament exhibition marking John Hume’s historic Nobel Peace prize

Following the twenty-fifth anniversary year of the Belfast Good Friday Agreement, Ulster University welcomes an exhibition, to celebrate one of the occasion’s principal architects, John Hume.  In partnership with the European Parliament Liaison Office in the UK and The John and Pat Hume Foundation, the exhibition which opened recently in Belfast, is continuing its year-long tour across Ulster University campuses.

The exhibition honours twenty-five years since Hume was jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize with David Trimble for their efforts to find a peaceful solution to the conflict in Northern Ireland. The exhibition “He made hope and history rhyme” takes inspiration from the words of fellow Nobel prize winner and friend, Seamus Heaney.

Professor Cathy Gormley-Heenan, University Provost, Ulster University, said:

“We are honoured to partner with the European Parliament Liaison Office UK and The John and Pat Hume Foundation to host this exhibition on our Belfast campus. The exhibition has been well received on its campus tour in Derry~Londonderry and Coleraine, and we encourage all students, staff and the general public to visit and discover the life and legacy of John Hume and his impact on modern day society.”  

An MEP for a quarter of a century and European of the Year, John Hume worked tirelessly to broker peace and reconciliation in his native land. The everyday injustices of life in the north and especially in his divided hometown led Hume to join the civil rights movement in the 1960s and to forge a philosophy encapsulated in this quote: “Difference is of the essence of humanity. Difference is an accident of birth and it should therefore never be the source of hatred or conflict. The answer to difference is to respect it. Therein lies a most fundamental principle of peace: respect for diversity.”

Susanne Oberhauser, Director of the European Parliament Liaison Office in the UK, comments:

“John Hume never tired of reminding us how the peace process in Northern Ireland has been so heavily inspired by the example of the European Parliament and the European project. As he liked to recall: “The union of Europe was the inspiration for our [Good Friday] agreement. The first time I went to Strasbourg in 1979 as a Member of the European Parliament, and I went to neighbouring Germany, I thought that if, in 1945, someone had said that these two countries would be reunited in Europe and that Strasbourg would be the symbol city of this hope, they would have been sent to the psychiatrist. The European Union is the best example of conflict resolution in the history of the world. All the regions at war must study the way in which Europe was built.” Thus, this project is particularly dear to our hearts and we are honoured to contribute to the remembrance of his legacy.”

Tim Attwood, Foundation Secretary, John and Pat Hume Foundation states:

“The John and Pat Hume Foundation welcome this excellent opportunity to partner with the European Parliament Liaison Office UK and Ulster University to showcase John Hume’s work as a Member of the European Parliament and the fact that the mission of the European Union inspired his courageous journey to build peace and reconciliation in Ireland through dialogue, partnership and bridge-building.

“Fifty years after Ireland officially became a member of the European Economic Community (EEC), it is our duty to keep faith with the Hume principles, keep his dream of peace and non-violence alive and inspire current and emerging courageous leaders for peaceful change, at home and in conflicts internationally, who will chart a better way forward and build a more just and prosperous future for all  our children.”

The exhibition features panels with highlights of Hume’s role in the peace process alongside a bronze bust, one of only five specially commissioned pieces created by Ballymena-born sculptor, Liz O’Kane. The remaining busts are installed at the Irish embassies in Washington DC, London, the European Parliament in Strasbourg and Leinster House in Dublin. After the tour of Ulster University’s campuses this piece will take up residence in the Guildhall, Derry~Londonderry in December 2024. Alongside the exhibition is a creation by Dublin tapestry artist, Catherine O’Connor whose grandparents hail from the North West. The tapestry, commissioned by friends of John and Pat Hume shines a light on Pat and the strength of her relationship with John and her integral role in the peace process.

The exhibition is free and open to the public from 5 July – 30 August in Birley Building reception, Ulster University Belfast.

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Belfast TradFest 2024: World’s finest traditional musicians flock to Belfast for the fastest growing festival of traditional music in Ireland, featuring over 370 events in the City.

Belfast TradFest, Northern Ireland’s premier traditional music, song, and dance festival, is back for its much-anticipated 6th annual edition. Running from July 21st to 28th, this year’s festival promises an exhilarating week of concerts, masterclasses, sessions and summer school events, bringing together some of the finest talents in the world of traditional arts.

The Dunville’s Irish Whiskey Session Trail features over 70 sessions in seventeen of Belfast’s oldest and best-loved pubs, including Madden’s Bar, The Garrick, Kelly’s Cellars, The Deer’s Head, The John Hewitt, The Sunflower, The Duke of York, and Hatfield House and many more.

All sessions are free admission, run for 2 hours and are ‘Céilí House’ style Listening Sessions. For the first hour of each session the master musicians set the scene for the session then invite the ‘room’ to join in. These sessions offer the aspiring musician an opportunity to listen to and observe music played by musicians of the highest calibre. This style of session reflects the céilí house traditions of the previous century, where aspiring musicians and listeners would gather at the home of a local master musician. The master would ‘hold court’ and oversee an evening of entertainment, which would start with a skilful performance, followed by an invitation to join in.

Belfast TradFest is delighted to partner with Dunville’s Irish Whiskey to produce a bespoke bottling of only 300 bottles of Special Dunville’s 1808 Belfast TradFest 2024 Series Irish Whiskey at 46%, with a customised Belfast TradFest 2024 label and a ‘Bourbon & Virgin American Oak Cask Finish’.

Available to purchase online from July 21st at https://www.echlinville.com/shop

Available to sample at Session Trail bars and to purchase and collect in person at; Madden’s Bar, The Garrick Bar & Friend At Hand Irish Whiskey Shop, Hill St. Belfast.

The Lyric Theatre Belfast has revealed exciting plans for their forthcoming Midsummer at the Lyric Festival as part of Belfast City Council’s Belfast 2024. From Thurs 4 July – Sun 7 July 2024, the banks of the River Lagan will be transformed into a magical place with faeries, comedy and mischief including a first time outdoor theatre space for the festival’s centrepiece, an adaptation of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Plus a range of inclusive, accessible community-led artistic collaborations including a community celebration on Sun 30 June.

Under the expert hands of artistic director Jimmy Fay, set designer Stuart Marshall, costume designer Catherine Kodicek, musical director Conor Pelan and the Lyric’s scenic construction manager Aidan Payne, this unique project will celebrate the Lyric’s relationship with the river, animating the space between King’s Bridge and Governor’s Bridge. It features the first staging the Lyric has undertaken in its outdoor space, where a brand-new “Wooden O Stage” will be created for an immersive experience into Shakespeare’s world-bending comedy.

The Festival also features collaborations with a diverse range of local partner organisations, artists from various disciplines and cultures, who will create work inspired by Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Collaborators include Rogue Encounters (formerly Kids in Control), Beyond Skin, ArtsEkta, Chinese Welfare Association and 5th Element. Each will play a pivotal role in co-designing and co-creating specific sections of the festival, contributing to the overall spectacular experience. This includes 9 mixed ability disability young adults playing the roles of the faeries and 10 world-class musicians most of whom are asylum seekers and refugees from various nations across the world including Ukraine, Syria, Brazil and Iran. A Midsummer themed community day for all the family will take place at the Lyric Theatre on Sunday 30th June from 11am-3pm and is open to all.

Director of Midsummer at Lyric, Jimmy Fay said:
“Midsummer At The Lyric is not just a festival; it’s a celebration of unity, creativity, and community spirit—a testament to Belfast’s commitment to cultural vibrancy and inclusivity. As the festival unfolds along the picturesque River Lagan, it promises to be a transformative experience not only for the Lyric, as we stage our first outdoor production Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, but for all the artists and participants from our community partners. We are making a dream come true in the heart of the city as we celebrate Belfast 2024.”

Midsummer at the Lyric has been funded and commissioned by Belfast City Council as part of the Belfast2024 Programme.

Tickets start from £15. For further details and bookings visit www.lyrictheatre.co.uk.